$14,300 grant awarded to fund research into role of African Americans in the Battle of Red Bank

$14,300 grant awarded to fund research into role of African Americans in the Battle of Red Bank

(National Park, NJ) – Gloucester County Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger and Freeholder Frank J. DiMarco announced today that the county is the recipient of the State's $14,300 grant to fund the research of African Americans at Red Bank Battlefield, one of the county’s parks.

Freeholder Director Damminger said, "With this grant we will be able to open many doors into our past and hopefully get the answers to unanswered questions about the role of African Americans at the Battle of Red Bank."

The grant, which was approved by the New Jersey Historical Commission Board, was part of a $2.5 million statewide grant that provided funding to 80 historical organizations, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, individuals, and county re-grant agencies across the state.

Freeholder Frank J. DiMarco, Liaison to the Department of Parks, said, “The Battle of Red Bank was an important battle in the Revolutionary War and is an important part of our history. The fact that we know so little about the African Americans who were present and participated in that battle is something we are determined to remedy, and this grant will help us do that.”

DiMarco said that the grant will be used to fund a professional historian to research the role that African Americans played in the battle, attempt to identify who they were, and offer a more inclusive narrative of the battle in order to properly recognize their efforts.

The project is anticipated to take place in early fall and will last around six months. All research discovered during the project will be incorporated into new battlefield tours, public programs, and pamphlets that will be available for park visitors.